ANNUAL KEPOET—186h 
103 
the important objects for which they were established. So¬ 
cieties of this class are the means of great good, and it is hoped 
that nothing will be done by the Legislature to curtail their 
usefulness. 
The State Agricultural Society still suffers embarrassment 
from the distracted condition of the country; on account of 
which condition and of entire exclusion from its exhibition 
grounds, (now Camp Eandall), we were again compelled to 
postpone the holding of the accustomed Annual Fair; and the 
Society is thus, for the second year, deprived of this source of 
income. Moreover, the State has now entirely withdrawn the 
aid it has heretofore rendered to the agricultural interests 
through this medium; so that the Society is now either com¬ 
pelled to close its doors and cease its labors, or to maintain its 
existence at the expense of individual ofS.cers, whose long de¬ 
votion to, and appreciation of its objects makes them unwilling 
that it should become extinct, i 
The Society should, at some time, realize something from 
the sale of its fair ground improvements to the General Gov¬ 
ernment, but no portion of the amount due has yet been paid, 
nor are we encouraged by our agent at Washington to confi¬ 
dently hope that it will be. Should this claim be cancelled by 
the Government, the Society would be enabled at once to set¬ 
tle its outstanding obligations and leave the Treasury unem¬ 
barrassed by debt; but on the other hand, should this claim 
not be paid at once, the burden of sustaining the Society must 
fall heavily upon the few who have its interests in official 
trust. 
From the report of the Treasurer, herewith submitted, it will 
appear that the small fraction of what should have been the 
appropriation to the Society for the year 1862, has been, in 
part, expended in carrying on the office business of the society; 
a use, which though not originally comtemplated by the law, 
has, nevertheless, to the Society appeared warrantable, under 
the circumstances, and will no doubt be sanctioned by the 
State. 
In every one of the now loyal States of the Union there ex- 
